Nine years ago over microbrewed beer and conversation, associate dean of social sciences and geography professor Andrew Marcus@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Andrew+Marcus@@ and director and co-founder of the University’s InfoGraphics Lab@@http://www.google.com/url?q=http://infographics.uoregon.edu/&sa=U&ei=KsSxT5GRBdG42gWTzqHpCA&ved=0CAUQFjAA&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHciogHnBVXqkTl73pidGmZU5vc6A@@ and senior research associate James Meacham hatched an idea.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=James+Meacham@@
The idea spawned out of no coincidence, however; the two colleagues were already discussing a theme of an advanced cartography class. Each year, the class picks a region to explore cartographic topics and themes, and in 2003, the theme was the northern region of Yellowstone National Park.@@http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGkk7MxLFPe2gAFllXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE1MzJjanJsBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA1NNRTA4MV8yMzU-/SIG=11ldqqj5c/EXP=1337079116/**http%3a//www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm@@
“We decided that as long as we were doing a class on the topic, we might as well create an ‘Atlas of Yellowstone,’” Meacham and Marcus wrote in the atlas’s afterword. “This naive decision led us on a much more involved and lengthy journey than we ever imagined.”
While compilations of maps of Yellowstone existed, the 3,468.4 square mile national park — primarily in Wyoming — had never taken on the form of an atlas before.@@http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/Acreage/acrebypark11cy.pdf@@ This was probably due to the sheer magnitude of the endeavor. This year, that changed with the publication of “The Atlas of Yellowstone,” which was created under the leadership of Meacham and Marcus.
The extensive reference covers nearly 100 subjects ranging from wolves to wildfire history and features more than 800 maps and graphics to illustrate the rich history of America’s first national park.
“Originally, all I wanted was a couple maps that covered my research area, and in the end, I got over 500,” Marcus said.
He and Meacham admit the project seemed to take on a life of its own. Some topics took years to compile research and data to effectively tell the story.
The book contains 84 sets of pages called “page-pairs,” which illustrate topics with story-telling elements like graphics and maps.
The nearly decade-long project was a testament to teamwork. The atlas was created with the help of 130 contributors and collaborations among the National Park Service, Yellowstone-area universities as well as other federal and private agencies.
“It’s really important that we built relationships with the experts because we are really telling their story and making it accessible to a wider audience,” Meacham said. “It’s what really makes this an authoritative reference.”
Many University students participated in production of the atlas as well. Marcus finds one of the things he is most proud of with the project is the involvement of students; many found success after graduation due in part to their role in the project.
“I am most proud of the idea that I contributed to something that people can learn from,” said graduate student Eric Stipe,@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Eric+Stipe@@ who worked on the atlas for a year.
Marcus and Meacham plan on using the book as an educational tool. There have been recent talks about developing mobile applications for the atlas, as well.
In the end, it is all about bringing the history of Yellowstone to a wider audience.
“At the bottom of all this, Yellowstone is a place like no other,” Marcus said. “It is a place that inspires a deep and abiding love for a lot of people. There is a reason it is the first national park. It felt fitting as a tribute to this place — the idea and the legacy it brings that we created the atlas.”